Patent Documents 1, 2 discloses a quantum cell that is an all-solid-state physical secondary cell. The quantum cell disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2 has a structure, for example, that a first electrode, a charging layer, a p-type metal oxide semiconductor layer, and a second electrode are layered on a substrate. The charging layer is a layer capable of capturing electrons obtained through photoexcited structural change caused on a particle-like n-type metal oxide semiconductor that is covered with an insulating material.
In Patent Documents 1, 2, electrical characteristics of a cell are to be measured. In Patent Document 1, electrical characteristic values are measured by an electrode probe being contacted to a measurement position on an external surface of at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode. For example, a voltage source and a current source are arranged to be selectively connectable to the electrode probe and a voltage meter is connected thereto. Charging-discharging characteristics and the like are evaluated based on measured voltage with the voltage meter, charging-discharging time, and the like during charging-discharging and at the time of fully-charged. In this manner, determining quality of a cell and specifying a failure position are performed.
An evaluation apparatus of Patent Document 2 evaluates characteristics of a charging layer of a cell while contacting a semiconductor probe to a charging layer of a quantum cell during manufacturing. Specifically, similarly to a quantum cell, a semiconductor probe in which a metal oxide semiconductor layer and an electrode layer are layered is prepared. Then, the semiconductor probe is intimately contacted to the charging layer of the quantum cell during manufacturing after the charging layer is layered. According to the above, the quantum cell during manufacturing becomes operable as a cell. Accordingly, it is possible to evaluate electrical characteristics of the charging layer of the quantum cell during manufacturing.